Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse

Narcissus and Goldmund is the story of a passionate yet uneasy friendship between two men of opposite character. Narcissus, an ascetic instructor at a cloister school, has devoted himself solely to scholarly and spiritual pursuits. One of his students is the sensual, restless Goldmund, who is immediately drawn to his teacher's fierce intellect and sense of discipline. When Narcissus persuades the young student that he is not meant for a life of self-denial, Goldmund sets off in pursuit of aesthetic and physical pleasures, a path that leads him to a final, unexpected reunion with Narcissus.

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Kirkus Reviews

Goldmund, who leaves the Mariabronn Cloister at his teacher's bidding to seek his salvation as artist and womanizer and to recover a ""lost childhood."" Goldmund's search for the redeeming mother figure and his adventures in the imperfect outside world are juxtaposed against the cold saintly perf...